France warns that terrorist attack in UK is 'highly likely'
French citizens have been given their strongest warning for years about the dangers of a terrorist attack in Britain in an official alert which will deal a blow to London's tourist industry.
A notice posted on France's foreign ministry website said tourists should be "extremely vigilant" on public transport and at busy tourist sites and that an attack was "highly likely".
The warning follows a similar alert issued by the US State Department about the heightened risk of terrorism in Europe and reports that an al Qaeda plot to carry out commando-style attacks in cities such as London, Paris and Berlin had been disrupted.
One of those alleged to have been involved in the plot is understood to have been a British national, Abdul Jabbar, who was killed by a US drone strike in Pakistan last month.
A security source quoted in a BBC Newsnight report last night said he was being groomed by Islamist extremists in Pakistan to lead a new terror group called "al Qaeda in Great Britain" which would have tried to carry out the attacks.
In its warning, the French foreign ministry stops short of telling its citizens not to travel to the UK, but suggests that they will face significant dangers if they do so.
"The British authorities estimate that the level of terrorist threat is very high in the UK and that the risk of a terrorist attack is highly likely," the posting states.
"It is recommended to be extremely vigilant on public transport and the most popular tourist sites.'
The US government travel advice issued at the weekend warned that al Qaeda "continues to plan terrorist attacks" and that "a variety of means and weapons" might be used to "target both official and private interests".
It said that transport systems and tourist sites could be among potential targets and "US citizens should take every precaution to be aware of their surroundings and to adopt appropriate safety measures to protect themselves when travelling" in Europe.
The official threat level in Britain remains unchanged at "severe" — meaning that an attack is judged to be highly likely.
The Foreign Office has issued a travel alert to UK citizens about a heightened risk of a terror attack in France and Germany.
Flight comparison website Skyscanner says the number of Americans carrying out internet searches for trips to Britain has fallen by 35 per cent in the past week. Searches about travel to Sweden were down 47 per cent, France down 42 per cent and Germany down 40 per cent.
